Not that I’m even caught up on “Jane the Virgin” (it was just renewed for season 5 in April, so I’ve got some time), but Rafael Solano is not one of my favorite characters. He’s all over the place, and not in the good, juicy telenovela type of way.
Justin Baldoni, though, I’m into. The actor has been a series regular since the start, playing the titular Jane’s baby daddy (among other things) and basically just showing off his abs the entire time.
Which we’re not complaining about.
Baldoni seemingly dropped into The CW from nowhere, but a new revelation points out that he made moves on a very different network prior to “Jane the Virgin” -- Disney Channel.
A clever fan noticed Baldoni making an appearance on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” as a fencing teacher to London Tipton (Brenda Song) in an episode from 2008.
Skip to minute 2:53 to hear Baldoni’s hilarious accent.
He confirmed his past role and added an interesting, albeit fake announcement.
Which is actually kind of hilarious, since it was recently announced that Cole Sprouse will star in a Baldoni-directed feature film (his first) called “Five Feet Apart,” a romance drama set to be released in March 2019.
Besides flaunting his body on The CW and leading a talk show called “Man Enough,” Baldoni has dabbled in other projects, like creating a documentary series called “My Last Days,” the third season of which is due out this winter, and founding the media company Wayfarer Entertainment.
Now, Baldoni’s first TV appearance was in 2008, and “Jane the Virgin” didn’t start until 2014. Did the fencing instructor character just not suit him?
Well, yes, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that Baldoni also created one of the most-watched engagement videos that currently exists on the internet in 2013.
You know the ones I’m talking about -- flash mobs, elaborate scavenger hunts, the works. You watch them before bed when you’re drunk moody and hope for your own happiness one day. Well, when Baldoni proposed to his now-wife Emily, he made a whole damn movie for the girl.
I first recognized Baldoni in “Jane the Virgin” from this video, and no, that doesn’t make me pathetic.
It’s a long watch, but worth every minute. It sparked a career, after all.